Separation Countdown
by rimacchi
Summary: Haruka was suffering a case pneumonia ever since he was a child. When he was about to achieve a life of mediocrity that he was expecting, his conditions had begun to catch up to him and won't leave him alone. As Haruka sinks deeper into destroying his own self, he drowns in despair. Who would be there to help him...?
1. Chapter 1

Separation Countdown

ー rimacchi ー

CHAPTER I

A World If They Haven't Met

"Haru," A voice swept through Haruka's ears as he felt his feet taking unsteady steps on the pavement. At the moment, he realized that the day was about to come to an end as his best friend and he began to walk their way home on a thirty-minute journey after such misfortune landed before their heads when the trains had stopped moving due to railing problems. "What terrible luck we have. The train had to break down." The boy beside him sighed.

His feet began to sting as he noticed the rays of setting sunlight had almost dyed the brunette boy's hair to orange. Makoto had given him a calm smile as Haruka's eyes met the ocean, now bathed in crimson light.

"You still want to swim?" Makoto asked followed by a chuckle. Haruka didn't speak. He simply nodded, a short answer to his friend's question.

Sure, they had just finished practice with the juniorsーNagisa and Reiー with a willed manager, Gou, who was filled with enthusiasm as the perfectuals are coming up. But Haru didn't feel like he had to leave the water. It was indeed tiring but Haruka wanted to stay and feel the water. He didn't need to swim at that time, but only to float freely, to get carried at the water's surface. He didn't wonder why, though. Maybe because he didn't need to think of a reason. He just thought that he needed to do it.

"Makoto," Haruka started off, almost startling the brunette. "Could we go back to school?" He said, his urge getting to him.

"Eh?" Makoto reacted, not quite understanding the shorter boy's words. "But it's going to be dark soon. Plus, the trains have stopped so we need to walk home again. Are you sure? We're almost to your house."

Haruka sighed roughly, biting his lower lip then after. "Nevermind," He said, finally noticing his words. "Let's go home." His blue eyes left the ocean as he focused on getting home, his feet moving forward as Makoto followed him.

"Don't worry, you'll have all the time you need tomorrow, Haru." Makoto smiled.

"Tomorrow..." Haru whispered to himself as his eyes softened.

"Haru," The brunette lost his track and stopped as Haruka moved forward a few steps. Almost as if he wanted to be left behind if it weren't for his call.

"Hmm?" Haruka tilted his head, confusion gathering up in his eyes as he noticed those green eyes staring with all sincerity in them, it almost made him shiver. "W-what is it, Makoto?" He hasn't been this serious in years.

"Haru," Makoto called out again, worry covering up his gentle voice as it reached Haruka's ears. "Are you okay...?" He asked slowly, as if he was hesitating.

Haruka swallowed the lump stuck in his throat, preventing a cough, as a droplet of sweat dropped down to his chin. He bit his lower lip, cursing in his thoughts. It was Makoto he was facing. He had known him since forever and who knows, both of them might have even met inside of their mothers' wombs. Of course he would at least notice something's off.

"What are you talking about, Makoto?" Haruka replied, maintaing his usual persona. "I'm fine." He wasn't, that's for sure but the words seem to get stuck behind his throat in front of the brunette.

The wind had begun to blow, whispering into their ears as locks of hair began to sweep through their foreheads and flutter up their clothes. Makoto began to stare at Haruka's ocean eyes as the sound of the sea began to mix up with the breeze.

"I guess it was just my imagination." Makoto chuckled, smiling to himself. "Sorry, Haru. I must be tired." He continued, scratching his head as he caught up with his steps next to Haruka. "So, let's go home then." He chanted.

The sun has started to take its leave, letting the darkness seep in, painting the crimson sky into a starry night. The breeze chilling up to the boys' shoulders as the dark began to fill in to their eyes.

"It's getting pretty dark." Makoto said as he kept on walking beside Haruka as he nodded silently in reply.

"Ren and Ran must be worried about you by now." Haruka commented followed by a small cough.

"Well, they could get a bit clingy at times." Makoto laughed. "They'd be worried about you, too, Haru-chan" He teased as Haruka furrowed his brows together.

"Drop the '-chan' already." Haruka scolded and stopped after emphasizing his words as he heard the sound of water gush through his ears. Makoto stopped on his tracks along with him.

Haruka almost didn't notice it because of the darkness. His legs began to lead him aimlessly at the edge of the river bank's slope as he watched the river water hit the rocks, splashing its way, leading doplets of water hit the grass.

"The river..." Haruka whispered to himself as the wind began to blow once more, even colder than before. "Brings back memories." The cold began to seep in through the boy's body as his coughs began to volume up.

"Yeah... It does." Makoto said almost in a monotone voice as if he was being forced to remember his memories. "Brings back a lot." The brunette bit his lip when he gritted his teeth as he took a deep breath. "Let's go, Haru." He grabbed Haruka's arm and began to drag him away from the river bank.

"Is there something wrong, Makoto?" Haruka asked in confusion as they began speed walking away from the river.

"It's just..." Makoto began to calm himself down as he began to slow down on his steps and clear his mind. Looking back at Haruka, he gave a gentle smile as he slowly let go of his friend's arm. "It's getting colder, don't you think, Haru? I don't want one of us to catch a cold before the perfectuals. Gou and the others would definitely worry too." Makoto hid all unpleasant things inside him, including the ones that he didn't want to remember.

Haruka's lip shook. He regained his composure and began walking the same speed as Makoto's hiding the coughs that he began to make. "Y-yeah." He replied.

The boys finally reached up on top of the stairs The sky above them, pitch black. The space between both teens was covered in silence and as both of them stood there, the silence began deafening. Haruka's ears began to ring and a stabbing pain impelled to his chest as oxygen in his lungs began to empty up once more, his mind began to become bothered by Makoto's expression earlier at the river and what made it worse was he didn't have any idea why.

"So," Makoto began, snapping Haruka out of his own world. "I'm going this way. Will you be fine by yourself? It's pretty dark. I heard from the neighbors that some street lights are still in repair."

"No, I'mー"

"Onii-chan!" A pair of voices began to overlap, cutting Haruka off his words as two resembling faces began to race onto them. "Onii-chan!" They said again in synchronization.

"Ren, Ran!" Makoto laughed as his siblings began to hug his legs. Haruka pulled the edges of his lips to form a small smile. "Why are you still outside?"

"Ah! Haru-chan is also here!" Ran said, hugging Haruka as well.

"Mother forgot some seasonings for dinner and we were going to the kind grandma next door to give us some!" Ren cheered. "But then, we saw you on from afar so we ran here!" He chuckled.

Makoto gently pat their heads as he knelt down to their height. "I see." He smiled in reply. "So, let's go home and have dinner. Is Dad home yet?" He asked as the twins nodded.

Haruka's smile began to widen as he watched the siblings laugh. His heart felt warm and at the back of his mind, he would have been thinking on how great would it be to have siblings.

"Haru-chan should come over for dinner too!" Ren cheered, staring at Haruka with a bright smile. "Mother would like it if you come!" He added as Ran began to cheer 'that's right! That's right!'

"Yeah, Haru, you should come over too." Makoto insisted with gentle eyes piercing through his. "It's been a while since you ate at our house. I'm sure you would like to eat something else besides mackerel. "

Haruka wanted to. He really did. He wanted to say 'okay' and get dragged along by the twins to Makoto's bright house. But...

"No, it's fine. I'm kind of tired with all that walking so I think I'm going straight home. Some other time might be good though." Haruka replied, noticing a hint of disappointment in both of the twins, as well as Makoto's.

It wasn't his fault though.

"Oh, I see." Makoto said. "Well, have a nice night then, Haru." He waved and added a 'see you tomorrow' as he turned his back and began to walk home, his silhouette becoming smaller and smaller until it completely became invisible.

Haruka sighed, let out a cough as he climbed the rest of the stairs, noticing the broken street lights the neighbors were talking about.

Without noticing, Haruka had led himself to his door, sliding it to reveal the spacious interior of his house being illuminated as he flicked up the light switch.

His feet began to walk without his bidding as he swayed, unsteady, his balance taken away. Haruka's eyes began to blur when the stabbing pain went back to his chest and when his feet began to wobble up like jelly, he finally collapses on the bed, his eyes half closed. The ticking clock raided his ears.

He focused on his breathing, timing it up with the clock for a steady pace as he tightened his grip on his chest when he took a deep breath. His vision getting swirled as he focused on the medicine he had on his desk.

"I'm fine..." He whispered to himself, almost out of breath as be closed his eyes, clutching on his chest. "I'm fine... I'm fine..." He chanted.

'I'm fine...'

He told himself that over and over. Whether it was by the depths of his mind or his voice, he never stopped chanting those words that maintained his persona, his mediocrityーhis life.

'I'm fine...'

But as Haruka whispered those words, at the back of his mind, he thought of something else.

'I can't let Makoto know.'

He didn't want to become a burden to the person he has beside him.

'I can't afford to let him know...'

Sometimes before Haruka would sleep, he would always think about the passing days, his memories and what would his future self look like. But above everything else, he would think of a world where the two of them didn't meet. A world where Makoto wasn't there to take his hand. Unsurprisingly, he could only think about it and couldn't bring his mind to send off pictures because he already know what would happen to him... Everything will all fade to black.

'I'm fine... As long as Makoto remains the same.'

/AUTHOR'S NOTE/

So yeah, hey guys. This is my very first Free! Fanfic. This may contain spoilers from the anime or from the light novel. I hope you enjoy this. :3


	2. Chapter 2

Separation Countdown

ー rimacchi ー

CHAPTER II

Enclosure

He could feel the heat getting through his head as the words slide out of his ears. Haruka's eyes almost squinted as he kept observing the room dipped in white paint, his feet continously tapping on the wooden floorboards as he seek for another distraction while waiting for the person. The ticking clock reminded him that time was still running inside that stale room.

"What's taking him so long...?" Haruka mumbled to himself as he rubbed the leaves of a newly watered plant next to his seat. He eventually stopped and let his back sink on the chair's back cushion after noticing that the plant gave the pad of his fingers a greenish color. "Did he hit on some girls again...?" He asked himself with a sigh as he lifted his head up, staring at the turning ceiling fan which he didn't even notice since it didn't even give much cool air.

Before Haruka could even decide to stand up and pace around the room, touching whatever he could see that would give him amusement for the moment, the door had flung open, a man entered the room carrying a number of folders with the rest of the papers falling to the ground. He immediately put them down on a nearby oak desk as he gave out a frustrated sigh. Haruka looked at him with nervous eyes.

"Ah, Haruka." The man smiled at him, fixing his glasses and dusting his white coat. "I'm sorry, I had some trouble with the paperwork." He laughed finger combing his chesnut hair over his way to Haruka.

'I could tell.' Haruka thought to himself as he gave a nod to him. "It's okay, Okabe-san."

"Would you like something to drink before I tell you the news?" Okabe turned to the cabinet next to his desk, the wooden board creaking as he opened it, revealing a small fridge that he wasn't supposed to keep.

"Aren't those things supposed to be prohibited in a Doctor's office here?" Haruka asked, raising a brow.

"Well, well, they don't check mine properly and besides, having this is more convenient than going to the vending machine." Okabe helped himself with some cold canned coffee he kept inside his mini hidden fridge. "There are some who know but they don't really mind. They ask me for free drinks which is sort of a give and take method." He shruged as he went back to Haruka, sitting in front of him, giving him a can of orange juice.

Haruka accepted the juice from the man's hands and placed it on the the coffee table, his fingers tracing the droplets of water from the can's smooth surface. "So... Bad news or good news...?" Haruka started.

Okabe stared at Haruka for a moment, letting the ticking clock take over the silence. The man let out a deep sigh as he placed the empty coffee can on the table. "Haruka, do you really want to have the doctor talk now? I brought you to my office since I thought you need to relax for a bit. You can't do that in the check-up room."

"Dr. Okabe Yuusuke" Haruka called, making Okabe's shoulders rise for a bit then returning to their proper place. He called him 'Doctor' not the usual 'Okabe-san'

"Haruka..." Okabe whispered to himself as he noticed the boy's shivering fingers. Indeed, he wasn't ready to hear the results.

The boy wasn't speaking. He was always like that anyways. No one could ever know what's going on in his head besides waterーand how he loves to be in it. But now, all the man could sense is fear of the words that he is about to say.

"Okay, Haruka..." Okabe stared at the oak coffee table. He couldn't bare looking at the boy's anxious eyes. "No, Nanase-kun"

Okabe turned around once more to his desk, searching through the brown office folders he had brought in earlier and came back to his seat quickly. Opening the folder slowly, Haruka could barely see the faded 'Nanase Haruka' written at the folder's side. With the folder covering Okabe's face, he noticed how thick it has become.

"Nanase-kun, your pneumonia is getting serious." Okabe went straight to the point, almost being blunt, as he placed the recent check up results on the table in front of Haruka. "Are you aware of this?"

Rather than aware, Haruka was expecting this. He knew that inside himself, he's going to go through that stage and not knowing when the trouble would ever end. With that, he gave off a sick chuckle. "I've been expecting it."

"This isn't going well, Nanase-kun." Okabe reminded. "If this continues you'll reallyー"

"Can I still swim?" Haruka cut him off.

Okabe blinked his eyes in surprise.

"Swim?" He said in an unsure tone, not believing what Haruka had said. "You know how pneumonia works... Right?" He asked, worried.

"...I still need to swim..." Haruka whispered. "No matter what you say I'll still swim. Even if I end up suffocating myself in the water because of it."

Okabe couldn't think of any other reply. He knew this boy ever since his sickness was diagnosed. The doctor knew how much this boy had loved swimming more than life perhaps. He wondered what would happen if Haruka were to suffer even more emotionally and mentally if he were to be stripped of his right to swim.

That would be a bad idea.

"Why...?" Okabe could only ask that single word out of worry.

Haruka looked down at the orange juice can, watching water droplets getting pulled by gravity as pictures had began to play inside of his head.

Pictures of a girl with red hair doing calligraphy for their training.

Picutres of a cheerful blonde jumping happily like a child.

Pictures of a smart and responsible boy, memorizing theories and assumptions for the improvement of the club and for his as well.

Pictures of an older redhead who he considers as both friend and rival.

...Pictures of a brunette taking his hand, and never letting it go ever since.

Haruka bit his lip and swallowed the lump in his throat. "It's the only thing I have left..."

The silence swallowed the room. Both males couldn't even look at each other with the tense atmosphere drowning them.

"Okay..." Okabe whispers to himself as he reached for his coat pocket and revealed to Haruka a transparent orange container with a number of white pills resting inside it, placing it on the table. "I predicted this might happen..."

Haruka begun to stare at the miniature bottle of plastic, his eyes seeing through the white pills, curious of what they were. He extended his hand to the orange bottle and brought it closer to him, observing.

"What... Are these?" He asked slowly,rotating the bottle with his fingers, observing it through many angles.

"Just a new developed antiviral medicine. It might still help when you feel... You know, uneasy." Okabe scratched the back of his head. "It may have some other minor side effects so I still reccommend hospital admission and-"

"This is fine." Haruka cut him off, still staring at the bottle in his hands. "As long as it could keep me swimming."

Okabe bit his lower lip and rolled his fingers into a fist, worry filling up his blood.

"You don't have to do this, Haruka." He blurted out. "You're destroying yourself." He added.

"I don't mind being destroyed." Haruka whispered to himself. "As long as... I could be free..."

"Please do tell me if everything gets too hard on you. I'll be there right away." Okabe reminded, putting the papers back in Haruka's folder. "Just keep in mind that you need to spend more time on resting... Please."

Haruka frowned, keeping the bottle of medicine in his pocket as his eyes focused once more on Okabe. "I can't say for sure." He replied quietly.

"Promise me that you'll try. For the sake of your parents and for mine as well." He advised as he stood back up and returned the folders to his desk, leaving Haruka with his thoughts.

••••••••••••

"Haru?" Makoto called him, waving his hand in front of Haruka's face.

"Yeah?" Haruka replied, facing the brunette.

"You seem a little off today... Is everything alright?" Makoto said out of worry. "Did you take your breakfast?"

"Ummm..." Haruka nodded as both of them continued to walk their way into the crowd, entering the train to their school. "I just didn't get enough sleep."

"I see." Makoto replied.

The silence between them was back as they faced the scenery behind the tain's glass. Haruka felt the bottle's rough plastic lid inside of his pocket, rubbing it against his nails as he impatiently taps his foot.

'I need to tell him...' Haruka thought to himself. 'He's my best friend, I need to tell him... He deserves to know.'

The continuous rubbing on the plastic tip had suddenly stopped as the noise entering Haruka's ears began to transform into deafening rings as he remembered flashes of his past.

•

「Haruka! Haruka! 」 Makoto's voice had cracked as he shook Haruka's shoulder. 「Haruka, snap out of it... Please!」

'No, Makoto... Don't show me such a sad face. I'm fine...

I'm fine...'

•

The trains had stopped and both boys began to walk once more to school.

'If things get complicated, this thing in my pocket can possibly save me...' He thought once more. 'I need to tell him...'

Haruka had been lost inside his thoughts, he didn't notice that he was already sitting on his chair, waiting for their homeroom teacher to arrive.

"Perfectuals is coming up, Haru." Makoto snapped him out of his trance. "Somehow, I'm feeling fired up." He ended his statement with a laugh.

Haruka bit his lip, enclosing his fingers on the bottle he has on his pocket. "Yeah..." He replied.

The more Makoto showed him his gentle smile, the more Haruka had thought of trying to tell the brunette, but the words wouldn't come out.

"Let's work hard together, okay Haru?" Makoto said as he beamed with happiness.

Makoto was too bright. Too bright that it can somehow burn through Haruka's eyes.

His grip on the bottle loosens as he gave out a small smile to Makoto.

"Yeah..."

'I can't tell him...'

AUTHOR'S NOTE

So yeah, 2nd chapter is up :3 I hope you enjoy R&amp;R please :)


	3. Chapter 3

Separation Countdown

ー rimacchi ー

CHAPTER III

Prelude

"I'm telling you, no sweets for now!" He heard Gou's voice getting louder and louder as she insisted to change their diets.

"Gou-chan, you don't know how sad life is without sweets!" Nagisa whined, taking another large bite of his Iwatobi Cream Filled Bread, insisting that he went into dozens of crowds in order to get it. "I lost half of my money because of that!" He said in between his chewing.

"Nagisa-kun! Let's just listen to Gou-san already " Rei scolded the smaller blonde, taking the piece of bread from his hands.

"Rei-chan~" Nagisa whined, punching him playfully on his shoulder. "I thought you were on my side! Don't be such a sour puss!" Nagisa said, his voice getting higher.

A few minutes after, the three second years had begun passing bread, avoiding it landing on Nagisa's hands. Until at least the pastry had landed with a splash on the cool chlorine-filled water.

"Waaah!" The three said in unison as the watched the piece of baked flour sink to the depths of the pool.

"My lifeline!" Nagisa cried, falling down on his knees as if a puppy had drowned. "My money, wasted. For nothing." He continued, lowering his head.

Rei began to fix his glasses, shaking his head at the sight of his classmate crying over sunken bread like it was a dead body that had drowned in the vast ocean. Gou, on the other hand, sighed in relief and then after bounced with joy as to see that the blonde wouldn't have to eat such pastry containing millions of calories that would definitely ruin their regimen.

"You're a cruel witch, Gou-chan! " Nagisa cried.

"It was for your own good!" Gou snorted back, folding her arms.

The two had already gotten into one of their quarrels which rarely happen. Rei began to step into the middle of the two, trying to calm them down, convincing the both of them that it's illogical to fight over something as irrational as bread.

"Now, what seems to be going on?" The three had stopped talking as their heads automatically turned to the tall brunette, a year above them.

"Makoto-senpai!"

"Mako-chan!"

Both of them said in unison.

"They were fighting over bread, Makoto-senpai. " Rei said, sighing, rubbing his temples like his head was about to burst in a matter of seconds. The two second years stared at Makoto, embarrassment filling them up. Why would they fight over a piece of bread?

Makoto could only blink at them, staring blankly into their eyes before he bursted in chuckles. "Oh, man. And I thought it was something serious!" Makoto continued and the three laughed along with him, forgetting what happened.

Before all of them can start practice, Nagisa had to swim down and collect the soaked pieces of bread by Gou's orders, afraid that it would damage the pool filters.

"Makoto-senpai," Gou called, fixing the kick boards in the shelf. "I don't see Haruka-senpai with you..."

Makoto skimmed over the white papers smeared in pencil lead. Gou's handwriting had always been neat and easy to read but Makoto for once didn't pay any heed to the training regimens compiled in his clipboard. He simply pass through the letters and numbers without fully understanding them. He then stopped at the mention of Haruka's name.

"Oh... Haru?" The brunette turned to the redhead a gentle smile forming into his face. "He's still in the classroom."

Gou furrowed her eyebrows, rubbing her fingers onto the blue foam of the kickboard. Of all times to be late and day dreaming, it had to be now and it was Haruka above all people. Haruka. The person who would actually jump into a displayed aquarium in the mall.

"Eh? Why?" Gou asked, now confused and somewhat curious to what the raven haired senior might be doing in the classroom, missing their training for perfectuals.

"Amakata-sensei asked him to stay for a while." Makoto laughed. "You know Haruka wouldn't be able to miss a single club meeting when the pool is open for him yo dive into."

"Well he _is_ Haruka-senpai." Gou chuckled, finally heading outside with a handful of kickboards and pull buoys for them to use. "I remember when he jumped right into the pool during Spring and caught a cold." She smiled.

"Well, Haru will always be Haru, after all." Makoto replied.

The sun painted the blue canvas of the sky into a scheme of orange, it was bidding goodbye as the lights had started to shine over the windows of the classroom, leaving shadows under the wooden tables and chairs.

Haruka was there, at his usual seat of course, fidgeting with his charcoal pencil and sketchbook. The cicadas started to sing as their sound echoed and reached the four corners of the classroom, bouncing back and forth between the white walls. He tapped at the compressed papers with the pencil tip, thinking of another thing to add to his drawing.

He tilted his head, looking at it. It somehow surprised him to see that he drew such a thing. A boy, trapped in a cage, reaching out to a small bird flying futher to the sky. He drew it without realizing the outcome. The stoke of black charcoal along with the detailed shading and edges stood out, revealing the boy's emotion of freedom... It looked real to him-his drawing. A little bit too real that he felt himself getting nauseous just by looking at it. Why did he draw such a thing?

Haruka then lowered the pencil to his table, biting his lip. It was the first time he missed practice. Somewhere deep inside of him, he felt crushed and a deep black hole has been formed within him. He felt empty. But somehow when he stood up to go downstairs to the pool earlier, he felt hesitation filling up to his veins and his hands started to shake so he turned his back and went to the classroom. Why did he do such a thing?

'_Did I just reject swimming...?' _Haruka asked himself, wiping a bead of sweat that trickled from his forehead. He felt utterly confused, why was it? It wasn't like he had an attack when he went downstairs... So why did he turn back?

'_Did I just feel fear towards the water...?' _

It was the last thing he could think of. And even Haruka himself find it to be shocking that he could ask if he was afraid of water. For a moment, he thought he had lost it. He thought that the doctor's words might be causing him paranoia.

Haruka sighed. What was he doing to himself?

_'I'm just shocked that's all. Considering on how Okabe-san said it then anyone has the right to be shocked.' _He thought to himself, staring the blackboard, now clean from any chalk stains._ 'I'll be fine and swimming once again by tomorrow as I forget about Okabe-san's words.' _

Haruka nodded to himself af his eyelids began to grow heavy. '_After all... I can't get Makoto to become suspicious on anything... I musn't.' _

The sound of a sliding door made him turn his head to the brunette entering the room.

"Haru...?" Makoto asked, tilting his head, quite confused on why Haruka, the person who would leave people behind to go home early, would stay at the classroom when it was already sundown. "Why are you still here? I thought you had gone home." The taller boy asked, walking closer to Haruka. "It was the first time you missed practice." He continued, a glint of disappointment present in his green eyes.

Haruka avoided his gaze as he stared at the now-empty track field, now empty.

"Amakata-sensei talked for a long time to me. She was asking why I wrote 'free' in the last essay question in her literature test earlier." He lied. Amakata-sensei never called him out. But such a reason could be believable since it was Haruka. He has done such a thing before his pneumonia ever got worse. "We finished late and I thought there wouldn't be enough time left to practice so I went here to kill the time."

Makoto only stared at Haruka with his explanation.

"I see." He replied smiling, making the smaller boy relieved that Makoto believed his lie. Though Haruka did feel guilty about it at first but what else could he have done? "Oh..?" Makoto's eyes landed on the sketch on Haruka's table, lifting it up to see it.

"W-wait!" Haruka said, trying to take the drawing back but it was too late. Makoto had already started to analyze every line, every curve of the sketch he had drawn.

Makoto's green eyes widened at the sight of Haruka's sketch of the boy trapped in the bird cage. It was then that he questioned himself if Haruka was really such an artist to have depicted the emotion of the boy to be... Real. It shook his heart, his mind filling in with questions. _Why did Haru draw such a thing? _He could actually ask in his mind's voice.

"This is new." Makoto tried to shake the uneasy feeling off his chest. "I never seen you draw like this before." He handed the sketchbook back to Haruka as the boy put it back inside his bag. "You have always been skilled with your hands but this drawing is kind of different from the ones you usually draw." The brunette continued in all honesty.

Haruka swallowed the lump in his throat, then raised his brow then after, trying so hard for him not to notice the uneasiness and confusion jumping up and down in his head.

"Is that so...?" Haruka replied after seconds of silence. "How is it different then?" He said with a straight face, like he usually does.

"Your drawings..." Makoto started his chin with his fingers. "... Are calmer, lighter, happier and somewhat filled with hope compared to that one." He said with the same gentle aura he had. "Now that I think of it, your drawings are like you, Haru." He chuckled. "Calm on the outside but you feel really feel different things on the inside."

Haruka could feel the embarrassment filling up his face. He then stood up and zipped us his bag and went pass Makoto.

"I'm going home." He said, passing through the doors, leaving Makoto.

"Ahh!" Makoto said in surprise, packing his things in panic as he ran, chasing Haruka in the hallway. "Wait for me! Let's walk home together, Haru!"

Makoto ran a few steps to reach Haruka's side as the raven haired boy began to cough when they reached the stairs. The brunette shook his head, trying to forget Haruka's drawing.

"Ahhh! Mako-chan, Haru-chan!" Nagisa's voice echoed in their ears as he saw him in the scholl entrance with Rei and Gou by his side. "Let's walk to the station together, okay?" He smiled at them.

The walk was rather quiet than they expected, other than Nagisa's ranting about their unfair diet except for the flavored protien powder, there was nothing else they could discuss about.

"Onii-chan is already practicing hard for perfectuals." Gou said, breaking the silence, enthusiasm covering up her voice. "Let's do our best too. Let's make it once again to the regionas!"

"The nationals should be our main objective this year." Rei replied, pushing his glasses back with Nagisa nodding his head cheerfully.

They heard the trains passing by as they reached the station. The rails were finally fixed but it seems that the schedule was changed and the next train to their homes was about fifteen minutes more and twenty for both Haruka and Makoto's.

"Anybody want some?" Nagisa said, cheerfully as he showed off some sea salt ice cream he bought at the nearby convenience store.

"I wouldn't want to share an indirect kiss with you, Nagisa-kun." Rei said, his face showing a hint of disgust as the others began to shake their heads. "I'll pass."

"What about you, Haru-chan?" Nagisa continued, waving the iced popsicle in front of Haruka's face. "Want some?" He smiled.

The others laughed at Nagisa's actions as he began trying to hypnotize Haruka into eating ice cream.

"Hey, Nagisa!" Makoto said in the middle of chuckles. "If you're not going to eat it then throw it away, don't let Haru eat it" He laughed once more after the statement.

Haruka on the other hand, covered his mouth and avoided looking at his friends' gazes as he tried to hide his coughs once more, not to become too suspicious looking.

"Eh...?" Gou's voice suddenly echoed. "Haruka-senpai, are you okay? You look kind of pale..." She said, her hand trying to reach Haruka's face.

"What?" He coughed back in repy. "Really? I'm just a little tired, that's all..." His reply muted their laughs and all their eyes were now focused on him, as if they didn't believe his words.

'_This is bad...'_ Haruka cursed in his thoughts.

'_Train leaving for...'_ The electronic voice of the speakers shot through their ears. Haruka could almost sigh in relief but didn't.

"Ah, that's our train!" Nagisa said,staring at the clock, finishing his ice cream. "Come on, let's hurry" He jogged pass Rei and Gou as the two slowly follow, with the redhead looking back at Haruka.

Haruka could only stare at the three of them leave as he secretly thanked God for the timing. Gou was really sharp to notice, he was surprised himself. Was he really that pale that Gou could see it even in sunset?

"Let's go, Haru." Makoto smiled at him as he nodded back. "Train's leaving."

He felt the bottle once again in resting in his pocket, twisting the lid open and then twisting it closed. Okabe wouldn't give it to him if he would never use it and never would he even lie to him. So, it was then Haruka thought to himself that his friends would definitely know soon even if he didn't tell them. He could have an attack and pass out, drown during swimming practice or even the constant coughs he has been getting could sell him out. The possibilities were endless.

"Hey, Haru." Makoto called as they got out of the mettalic vehicle. "Are you okay?" He asked.

Haruka avoided his gaze and continued walking.

"Yeah... I am, don't worry." He replied in a soft voice. "I'm really just tired from school and all. I haven't got enough sleep lately because of homework."

It was a while before Makoto could reply but Haruka couldn't even find the words to support his earlier statement.

"If Haru says so, then I'll believe it." The brunette gave out a smile and Haruka swore he felt the guilt piercing through him as he clenched his fists and bit his lip.


	4. Chapter 4

Been a long time since I updated but I just couldb't find the right time to do so. But jow, here's the 4th chapter!

* * *

Separation Countdown

ーrimacchiー

CHAPTER IV

**Faults**

He splashed water on his hands as the transparent droplets of water formed parabolas onto the floating dolphin toy beside him. Once again, Haruka repeated the same words his late grandmother used to say:

'_When you are 10, you are a prodigy, when you are 15, you are called a genius but when you hit 20, you're just an ordinary person'_

Haruka bit his lip as the thought of the back of his mind suddenly came knocking through his skull

'_What if I don't even reach twenty...?' _

The thought was burned into his mind when he looked at his pale hands, crumpled skin had began to form as water slipped out of its walls. He put his hands back into the water and shook his head.

'_Like hell am I going to die. Just forget about it, it's not serious. You're being paranoid'_

He hid back his thoughts as his mind began to sink in emptiness. He stared at the crystal blue water surrounding him inside the bathtub, seeing his own reflection slightly swaying and deformed. "Yesterday..." He whispered and thought of the drawing that Makoto saw. "Was I... Afraid of the water?"

The memories kept on coming, flooding his brain, his very soul until they couldn't be kept back anymore. Haruka sighed, standing up in the bath, still in his trunks of course, and got a towel to wipe himself clean. The water somehow made him nauseous just by looking at it-which was unlikely. It wasn't him to get out of the tub without Makoto pulling his hand.

Now, what came onto his mind was to think of a reason to give Makoto on why he's a fish out of the water when he comes.

The knocks on his door somehow sent shivers to Haruka's spine. He knew who it was, and as he went closer to the sliding door to let the brunette in, a sigh was heard through the wooden platform as it slid open by itself, revealing Makoto, with his 'not again' face plastered, only to be replaced by wide eyes and an agape mouth.

"H-Haru..." He stuttered, seeing Haru prepared and ready for school early in the morning must have been that of a shock. "You aren't in the bath..." He raised his brow, slightly confused.

"I woke up early, that's all." He looked away as he let the medicine inside his pocket sink into deeper cloths inside his pocket by the weight of his hand. "I was in the bath for quite a long time, you know." He lied.

"Is Haru-chan ready for school then? Have you eaten?" Makoto said smiling, but a little uncertainty showing up.

"Drop the '-chan-' already." Haruka sighed roughly as he went outside passing Makoto "I've already eaten some Mackerel. "

Makoto could only laugh after hearing the boy's breakfast.

"That's no surprise." Makoto replied.

They passed through the ocean again. The raven's head was turned to the big blue body of water releasing shining stars made by the light. His mind was still blank as he payed attention to the crashing sounds of the waves and small chirps of the birds that went by, only hearing bits of letters from the brunette's mouth.

"I was worried sick, you know?" Haruka caught up to Makoto's sentences after his hydrophilic trance. "I thought that you might be sick since you did something... Well, unpredictable. "

Haruka couldn't help but be offended a little by Makoto's words. It was as if the whole universe were to explode if he wasn't in the tub for the brunette to get him. Was he that obsessed with the water? Well, at least now he knew.

"Nagisa even wonders if water could be your drug." He chuckled back.

Haruka sighed in defeat. It seems that Makoto wasn't the only one who thinks that Haruka might be a little obsessive on swimming to the point that he's fallen .in love with hidden waterfalls. The boy could only avoid the brunette's eyes.

"__What? You don't want to give your lunch money?" __A loud voice echoed, full of arrogance, overlapping with another one, screaming like his tonsils were getting ripped slowly. Then more voices of laughter overlapped.

Their heads turned to an alley two blocks away from their high school. A boy was being bullied by a gang of high schoolers. The poor boys bruised arms were raised up to his face as tears began to well up his eyes while his ears exploded by the taller teen's screaming.

"I have no lunch money. P-p-please..." The boy stuttered, his back slowly sliding down the wall as his bottom reached the ground as if he was cowering in fearーwhich he really was.

"Nakagawa," The taller teen taunted, brushing his shoulder-length hair contaminated with blonde streaks like a visual kei band member, just disgusting to look at unlike the real thing. "We can do this over and over again" He cocked his head to the side.

Makoto and Haruka observed quietly.

"Ah, Nishimura again." Makoto sighed, his eyes filled up with pity as they landed on the poor boy. "I feel so sorry for Nakagawa."

Haruka stared at Makoto, confused on what he was talking about.

"Nishimura?" Haruka murmudred but was still heard by Makoto.

"He's a guy from our class, Haru." The brunette turned to the raven, tilted his head and smiled but it didn't last long as it faded back into a pitiful frown. "I'm surprised you don't know. His gang has been doing this quite often."

Haruka bit his lip. Society was indeed cruel and he was surprised that even he didn't have memories of such horrors of being bullied. Maybe because he was surrounded by Makoto and the others when he was young or he was simply not worth the time. Haruka glanced back at the scene and surprisingly... He somehow felt his blood boil.

"Don't worry, Haru." Makot patted his back. "The teachers often put a stop to it as well before it gets serious. We'll be in a lot of trouble if they find us."

'_If it happens often then why isn't this Nishimura arrested for assault or expelled yet?'_ Haruka thought.

"I-I'm not lying!" Nakagawa said, bringing his arms closer to him, only to find a foot dropping down to his face. Haruka swore he saw blood.

It wasn't his business, he knew that. He could turn a blind eye to it but instead, he found his legs going closer to the scene.

"H-Haru!?" Makoto wondered as he traced Haruka's to the scene.

Haruka stopped in front of Nishimura, of course, Makoto was behind him, sending lots of whispers to his friend nmto turn aeound before he finds himself with a broken leg and a black eye.

"Eh-!?" Nishimura said rudely "What are you think yer doing?" He said in Haruka's face.

The raven, on the other hand, payed no heed to it as he knelt down to Nakagawa.

"Are you okay?" He said with sympathy. Nakagawa stared at him for a while, his nose bleeding and his no-frame glasses crooked. All he could do was nod.

Haruka then grabbed his arm and helped him stand up. Makoto helped him keep his balance, convincing himself that there was nothing left to fo now that Haruka has put his mind on something.

"Run along." Haruka said, still monotone. "You'll be late."

"Don't worry about him." Makoto smiled gently at him. "He"s born with no emotions on the outside." Those words somehow sent a sting to Haruka's head. "Let's go back, Haru." Makoto payed no attention to the furious high school boys beside him, he brushed it off with a smile as he grabbed Haruka's arm.

"Yo, Nanase, you trying to convince yourself that you have the guts to face us?" Nishimura said, putting his bloody knuckles in his pockets as he laughed arrogantly. "Where are your manners young man? Didn't your parents teach you to not meddle in anyone's business?"

Haruka only looked at him with cold eyes, he then turned his back at him, following the tugs of Makoto's hands on his arm, signalling him to retreat from the mess they got into to avoid anymore casualties.

"You think you're better than us now, Nanase? Tachibana?" Nishimura said, almost screaming, stomping his foot on the concrete ground. "I'll give you a nice beating just to-"

Nishimura was then cut off, the sound of teachers running their way to their spot. With a hidden 'tsk' and an annoyed look, he stared daggers at both Haruka and Makoto before he sent out his words.

"You'll regret messing with us." Nishimura threatened, going ahead of them to school.

Haruka could use a stopwatch when he heard Makoto sigh. It was as if he didn't breathe for the entire duration of Nishimura's presence.

"Hey, Haru, why did you do that?" Makoto asked, his voice a bit whiny for once. "What could have happened if he hurt you?" He continued, worried eyes pierced through his blue ones and the black haired teen was truly sure that he saw Makoto squeezing his fists in the corner of his eyes.

'_Don't show me such a face, Makoto...'_ Haruka thought, avoiding his eyes, the grim sight of Makoto's face at that day suddenly re-emerged in Haruka's mind, making him bite his lip. It was as if he was thrown in his consciousness; like drowning in a hallucination that the Makoto he saw that daw was the real one in the present, his voice screaming his name still vivid in his ears. '_Everything's over now so...'_

"But I didn't." Haruka replied, trying to keep his face in a calm scheme. "I was just annoyed. It's like how I acted when Rin transferred when we were kids." He continued to walk, passing Makoto to the school.

"I'm still worried, that's all..." Makoto whispered to himself with no one hearing a word from his mouth. "Haru..." He said to himself staring at his best friend's back.

Math was a pain. It really was. Haruka tapped his mechanical pencil on his notebook, leaving small dots on the white surface, his eyes focused on the board showing different equations. He still asked himself if he would still be using such things for him to contribute to society. The cosines and tangents were driving his mind crazy and after using his final solution on the problem, only to find out that it was incorrect, he gave up and set his pencil to the side.

Haruka sighed, his chin landed on his palm, eyes straight up the sky through the glass boundery.

_Are mom and dad all right?_ Haruka thought, surprisingly. He doesn't really worry much about them, seeing on how they care for each other. They visited him during holidays and that was enough for the boy to feel parental love. He then sighed. He was having stray thoughts again. Haruka turned back to the board, the teacher's words now alien to him, how many minutes did he space out?

Haruka grabbed his pencil and started to copy the equations on the board that were about to be erased by their teacher when a note, folded four times went flying to his table.

He opened the piece of paper, notcing that it was torn from a notebook-evident by the ripped edges. The handwriting looked familiar and eventhough the name wasn't inked and written on it, Haruka already knew who it came from.

__'How did you solve problem 7? Did you change tan to a simpler form?' __

The note said. Haruka then looked to his right, pass a two classmates that he doesn't even really know, Makoto looked at him, the same gentle smile etched on his face.

Haruka looked back at his note. He knew for sure that Makoto knew how he did problem seven, he must have noticed Haruka spacing out again and to be honest, he was glad that Makoto sent a note. The teacher would have thrown his pencil case on Haruka's head if he continued daydreaming.

Silently, Haruka took the pen and wrote, folding it back four times, following the creases and passed the letter to his classmates, on its way to Makoto.

Makoto then opened the note.

__'I don't know. Teach me later. Thanks.' __

Receiving a straightforward message from Haruka wasn't a surprise. He knew Haruka wasn't the type to use emoticons and long replies, he knew that. The note revealed Haruka's stoic demeanor that Makoto could hear Haruka's voice when he read his reply-monotone, gentle, soft, and the 'thank you' expressed gratitude that Haruka somehow had trouble in saying with feelings, but he already knows that if Haruka said 'thank you' even with a monotone voice, it was already sincere.

He looked back at Haruka, finally taking notes. Normally, he would do such a thing since both of them use Makoto's detailed notes but ever since telling Haruka some tips on how to organize a notebook then this had happened. Sure, Haruka would space out at times the teacher notices, he would send a note to Haruka to bring him back to Earth.

"Okay, that's it." Haruka will never know on how his Math teacher could say that line for every session at the same time the bell rings, but even so, he never felt so happy that Math was finally finished and another boost up to his joy, classes are over.

With a tap from the teacher's books to the table, he signaled the president of the class to skip the 'stand, bow' sessions they have everyday when class starts and ends. So, the man went outside the room, leaving the students, noisy and unruly.

Haruka had closed his notebook and put it back in his bag, zipping it close then after.

"So, should we go to the pool?" He heard Makoto's voice beside him. He lifted his head and glanced at him, Makoto smiling at him as usual.

The raven head looked back to his bag. Would it really be safe for him to swim? Okabe's image had started to appear in Haruka's mind. _He said it would be okay for a while so..._

The thought of water made him dizzy, the smell of chlorine he imagined was somehow nauseating. But, he shook the feeling of uneasiness rising in his chest and glanced back at Makoto.

"Yeah." Haruka nodded.

It took a while for them to realize that they were the only ones left in the room.

"I wonder if Gou-chan and Nagisa are fighting about the diet regimen again." Makoto chuckled as Haruka quietly followed him.

Makoto's fingers traced through the sliding door and once he opened it, a boy had blocked the path. The dyed hair, the muscular figure and a smug smile, Nishimura's stood before them.

"Tachibana, Nanase, are both of you going home?" Nishimura chuckled as Makoto took steps back into the classroom.

Haruka took a glance behind the man. He had a few cronies behind him. Three or so. He looked back at Makoto, who was sweating bullets.

"No, we were going to our club." Makoto replied, almost hesitantly.

Nishimura cocked his head and raised an eyebrow.

"Hooo... Is that so?" He said, faking astonishment. "Swimming club is it?"

Makoto swallowed the lump in his throat. He gave a glance to Haruka, getting a nod in return. Without a single doubt, he knew what Haruka meant so he nodded back in return.

"Yes." Makoto nodded.

Nishimura then chuckled loudly, as if he was a mad scientist on the verge of discovery.

"Well, too bad you won't be in one piece going there." Nishimura raised his hand and as he did, Makoto had bumped on him as he and Haruka had ran outside the room.

They were running down the hallways. Their breathing ragged, their sweat stuck to them like a layer of second skin and their hearts were in their ears. They could hear Nishimura and his gang's screaming behind them, getting closer and closer. What could they say? They were swimmers, they don't have to be that good in land to be fast in water.

"Haru!" Makoto had called between his ragged breaths. "Let's split up. They won't get us both that way!"

Haruka almost couldn't hear Makoto's voice.

"Are you...sure?" He replied back. "If any of them catches us-"

"Let's not hope for that!" Makoto cut him off as he saw a the staircase going down.

X X X

He couldn't breathe.

He felt too dizzy to run that every step he took gave a feeling of flight like his shoes actually had wings like that of Hermes' sandals. His heat pounded like a never ending hammer inside his chest and as he looked back to see the boys still on his tail, it didn't get any better.

He was running out of breath, that wasn't good. His head pounded so badly that he thought of throwing up.

Makoto. Where was Makoto?

He tried to distract himself, thinking that if he could imagine a different scene other than the pain inside his chest, it would somehow divert the pain.

It got worse.

His whole chest cavity was burning, like someone had lit up a fire that spread throughout his blood vessels, the smoke eating up the oxygen circulating his system. As an effect, he started coughing. Hard.

His feet felt like jelly after each cough and as he looked back, the cronies had become closer than ever. He tried running again, almost stumbling in the process but he thought it would have been better than getting caught. His head turned right to left, searching the hallways for a place to hide, noticing that it would be bad if he kept running.

He felt that he had been blessed by the Gods when he saw an open classroom bathed in folded sunlight. He had gone farther enough for the cronies not to see him turn so swiftly, he entered the room and locked it from the inside.

He looked at the room, observing every feature of it to divert himself from thinking of the pain in his chest. He looked at the board, which was an exact replica of the board in their room, it had scribbles of white chalk about Japanese history but when he found the corner of the board, he thought his heart stopped.

_On Duty_

_Matsuoka Gou_

'_Shit!' _

His breathing became labored and he absolutely knew that he had to leave the room but he was in no shape to do so. But if he doesn't leave the room, Gou might come inside and see him in such a state.

Perhaps the Gods were laughing at him after all...

He held his chest tightly, crumpling the pieces of cloth restricting it. He could hear his heart hammering into his ears and he shut his eyes shut and started to shake his head violently. It hurt. Every breath he tried to intake hurt. Even if he did, it felt like the oxygen wasn't getting inside.

"Haruka-senpai?" His head turned to Gou, who was staring at him in confusion. "Why aren't you in practice?"

The colors in her blurred in his eyes and he shook his head to keep them in tact.

"Look inside the rooms!" He heard a voice say.

Haruka's eyes widened in shock. With his hand shaking, he swiftly took Gou's hand by his adrenaline and rushed into the cleaning locker at the corner. He slammed it closed with both of them flustered.

"Ha-Haruka-senpai!?" Gou squealed but Haruka had covered her mouth then after to keep her quiet.

Haruka tried to focus on breathing, his hands were shaking. He was worried that Gou will notice and that didn't help at all.

"...Haruka-senpai... your hand..." She managed to whisper as she held his hand, his shaking cold hand. He flinched at the temperature of Gou's hand. It was hot or maybe it was him that was too cold.

"Haruka-senpai, are you okay?" She whispered

Haruka didn't reply, he couldn't reply. He couldn't fin d his voice inside his throat.

The noise inside the room had already ceased and Gou immediately opened the locker door as the boys left.

Haruka felt dizzy and as Gou had finally went outside the locker, Haruka swayed, not sure if the colors inside his eyes were genuine. He took a step forward and he finally felt them giving in on him.

"Haruka-senpai!"

And Gou's voice had rung in his ears.


End file.
